Various explanations have been put forward as to why Liverpool's form has fallen off a cliff in 2017, but most related to the unavailability of certain key players. Initially it was Philippe Coutinho, Joel Matip and more recently, Sadio Mane. Yet Liverpool were close to full strength against Hull, with only Dejan Lovren unavailable from what would be Klopp's preferred line up.

The German elected to start with Emre Can over Georginio Wijnaldum, a decision not met with universal approval from supporters, but apart from that, most would agree that this was more or less the best Liverpool have.

Coutinho's return was supposed to soften the blow of losing Mane but even though the Brazilian has been back for a month now, he has not recaptured the sparkle he had prior to his injury. Equally, the return of Matip was supposed to make things more secure at the back but the Cameroon defender conceded a penalty in midweek against Chelsea and, along with fellow centre-back Lucas Leiva, was culpable in allowing on-loan Everton striker Oumar Niasse to run through unopposed for Hull's second goal.

That might just be the lowest point of a miserable five weeks for Liverpool, as Niasse is a player who Everton boss Ronald Koeman needed just 45 minutes of a preseason friendly to decide wasn't good enough.

Not even a recall for top scorer Mane could inspire Liverpool's suddenly insipid attack on Saturday, which has to be a big worry for Klopp because in addition to the goal threat and pace he provides, his return also freed Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana to return to their most effective positions. With "the fab four" re-united in attack and Matip restored to the defence, Liverpool were expected to get back on track on Saturday but instead, they've been plunged into further despair as most of their key players turned in truly abject performances.

Mane's return was hotly anticipated but didn't immediately 'fix' Liverpool. Give them time.

The question now is what can Klopp do to turn this around?

In the short term there might be a temptation to chop and change the team to try and find a winning formula, but that's unlikely to succeed considering the lack of impact the bench players have made in recent weeks. Turning back to Daniel Sturridge or Divock Origi when they are in terrible form doesn't seem like such a good idea. Similarly, would bringing Loris Karius back in for Simon Mignolet (badly at fault for Hull's opening goal) be especially helpful at this point?

The best thing Klopp can do right now is stick with what he sees as his best line-up and hope they can regain some form and confidence. Clearly though, in the long term there is much more work to be done than Klopp probably thought.

He has repeatedly spoken of how he prefers to coach improvement in the players he has rather than simply go out and buy new ones. It's an admirable sentiment and for a while, it looked like it would be a successful one. It still might be in the final analysis but it's also glaringly apparent now that this approach must be balanced correctly with significant activity in the transfer market. You can't keep making a profit in transfer windows and expect to be successful, no matter how good you think your coaching is.

While Klopp is trying to make silk purses out of sow's ears at Melwood, Manchester United will no doubt be preparing to throw the kitchen sink at Atletico Madrid and tempt them to part with Antoine Griezemann. You can be sure Chelsea and Manchester City will be investing heavily, too; unless Liverpool are prepared to do the same (and that includes Klopp just as much as it does owners, who supporters frequently criticise for their "thriftiness") then how can they expect anything to change?

Jurgen Klopp is more disappointed with Liverpool's performance and spirit than the losing result itself.

Liverpool aren't as bad their last 10 games would suggest but they obviously aren't as good as they looked earlier in the season either. They are somewhere in between, as they always seem to be.

Upgrades are needed in several positions but more than anything, they need a couple of world-class players with a winning mentality, because great players can raise the level of their teammates. Liverpool have nobody who fits that description. There are plenty of good players at Anfield but they are a supporting cast without a leading act.

The first half of the season showed that the Reds aren't a million miles away from being able to truly compete, but there are serious question marks as to whether those in charge (both manager and owners) are prepared to spend what it will take to turn a good squad of players into a title challenging one.

It's not about getting rid of the current players, either; it's about bringing in players who can help them. Replacing the supporting cast is pointless if you aren't going to add a leading man or two, but they don't come cheap.

That's an issue for the summer, though. Klopp's immediate concern is turning this mess around before he finds himself in a fight for sixth spot with neighbours Everton. What a thoroughly depressing thought that is.